


Time Traveling Emperor

by FrozenEagle



Series: A World Without Gods [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Immortal My Unit | Byleth, Time Travel, edelgard dies but then doesn't, silver snow but way in the future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26803933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenEagle/pseuds/FrozenEagle
Summary: There’s a flash and the world seems to spin on its axis. The candle at her feet is blown out by a strong gust of wind. And as Byleth recovers from the initial shock, she practically falls over when something even more insane registers before her.It’s the Emperor, on her knees, breathing heavy and body battle-worn. Just like she looked when…Through her heavy breaths, Edelgard pants, “There you go, again…my teacher… Hesitating…”She looks up, finally, to see a completely different Byleth standing before her. No Sword of the Creator, shorter, styled hair, strange-looking clothes. And completely dumbfounded.“Professor… What’s going on?”
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Series: A World Without Gods [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954792
Comments: 14
Kudos: 192





	1. Chapter 1

Byleth Eisner's life was never as simple as she wished it could be. She was one of the curators at Enbarr's most prized museum: the Imperial Palace. Such a job seemed daunting, but it's easy when one's familiar with the grounds and artifacts. And she's had far more harrowing jobs before. When she took the job at the museum, she thought she was just going to be a tour guide. But her knowledge of the place and its former residents got her promoted quickly. She just wanted something _simple_ , dammit.

For once in her hundreds of lives, she just wanted something _simple_.

This life was apparently trying _very_ hard to rival her _first_ life.

“What…the _fuck._ ”

Edelgard cocked her head to one side, eyeing her former professor with confusion. “Something has…happened,” she stated, blunt as she always was.

“Yeah, no _shit_!” Byleth exclaimed, running her hands through her hair as she tried to piece together what was going on. One minute, she was alone in the throne room of a palace-turned-museum. Standing before a solitary candle marking the spot where she once was forced to strike down her old student because of some stupid war and now… _now_ …

That same student knelt in place of that candle, exactly how she had been moments before Byleth’s sword split her skull in half.

Edelgard frowned, mostly at the exasperated tone. She looked Byleth up and down - who looked considerably less threatening now than she did mere seconds ago. Edelgard had closed her eyes on a hardened mercenary, dressed to the nines in gaudy religious garb and wielding the most terrifying weapon in history. Now… She was wearing some kind of jacket - and using the sleeves _properly_ \- and had smooth, pristine pants and heels. There wasn’t a speck of dirt or blood on her, and rather than a weapon of incredible destruction she had a rectangular bag, strap slung over one shoulder.

Enough ogling her old professor… She glanced around and, yes, it was still the throne room. But…it was also different. The banners were wrong. There was a different rug. There were these strange…glowing orbs positioned at the top of each pillar, shining artificial light along the central nave. All of the chandeliers were outfitted with similar-looking lights. They weren’t real candles, she could tell that much.

Slowly, she pushed herself up to her feet, an undignified grunt leaving her lips as her body strained under her injuries. That was easier said than done - she _had_ been using the Sword of Seiros as a crutch moments ago, but now it has vanished into thin air.

Byleth took a step back, subconsciously reaching for a sword that wasn’t there. “It’s…alright, my Teacher,” Edelgard breathed, “I doubt…I could give you…much of a fight…”

“Right. You…you’re injured,” Byleth remembered, “We would have just fought…”

Edelgard narrowed her eyes. “You don’t…remember?”

“I…” Byleth gulped nervously, shifting back and forth on her feet anxiously. She tightened her grip on the strap of her laptop bag, and drew a deep breath. Might as well rip the bandaid off. “It’s been… 850 years since our last battle, Edelgard.”

Edelgard blinked. Byleth assumed she was in shock, but then she looked around the throne room once more. “The palace…still stands after all this time?” she wondered softly.

“You…you’re not… Freaked out by this?” Byleth stammered.

“I am… Processing it,” Edelgard admitted, “I imagine…it will hit me when I’m…in better shape.”

“Oh shit, right. Here.” Without thinking, Byleth stepped forward and gently pressed her hand on one of Edelgard’s most concerning injuries. She tapped into magic she hadn’t needed to use in centuries, surprised at how easily it all came back. Healing magic spread through the Emperor’s body, and it wasn’t until most of the wounds were closed up that Byleth realized she had just healed the woman who she had been fighting to the _death_ against.

She leapt back, drawing the only weapon she had on her: a small pocket knife. Edelgard regarded the weapon in curiosity more than anything. Although Byleth did see her reach for where her dagger had been on her belt, only to discover it wasn’t there. ‘ _Of course it’s not,’_ she thought to herself in relief, _‘That dagger is in the Flame Emperor exhibit.’_

“I’m not going to kill you,” Edelgard said simply, taking her eyes off the knife and focusing on Byleth’s face, “Not that I could. I appear to be unarmed. For some reason.”

“O…ok,” Byleth stuttered, still not quite ready to lower the knife, “Erm… _why_?”

Edelgard shrugged. “If this truly is the future, then I find myself here without any kind of guide, and loathe as I am to admit it, I _will_ likely need one of those. You seem to know what’s going on.” Her eyes narrowed again. “And you’re _here_ , too. I suppose that means you _cannot_ die, even if I tried.”

“Well, technically I still _could_ …” Byleth began, before shutting her mouth. “Ok, so… I accept your truce,” she said, lowering the knife and tucking it back in her pocket, “I…I suppose I should… Oh _goddess_ , what am I going to do?”

“Well, that depends,” Edelgard said, assuming that dignified air only an Emperor could pull off, “In this future, would something like the tyrannical Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg magically reappearing be received _well_ , or would you rather keep such a thing a secret?”

Byleth’s eyes widened slightly. “I…” she stammered, before looking away nervously, “You were never a _tyrant_.”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Professor,” Edelgard told her with a small, sad smile, “How does history view me? A monster? A madwoman? A visionary who lost her vision in all the bloodshed? There’s no need to sugarcoat it - I already know how I must have looked.”

“Misunderstood.”

“…What?”

“I…” Byleth blushed, awkwardly rubbing one arm. “I found…notes. In your office, after…” She gulped, and continued anxiously, “I found letters and drawings and diaries and drafts… I pieced together what happened to you. I made sure the world knew. I picked up where you left off. I couldn’t let the things that happened to you keep happening. Edelgard…the world we live in now wouldn’t exist were it not for you. You were a… troublesome political figure. But ultimately you were _good_. I made sure the people knew that.”

Edelgard stared at her, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Eventually, she broke her gaze away, turning and covering her mouth with one hand. “I…” she muttered. She quickly wiped away something on her cheek.

“Look… We should get out of here before someone sees you,” Byleth said, suddenly worried she had said something wrong.

Edelgard turned, and there was a _smile_ on her face. “Yes. Lead the way, my Teacher,” she said softly.

Byleth nodded, feeling something wonderful stir in her chest at such a beautiful sight. “Ok. Let’s head to my car. I’ve got a spare room in my apartment - you can sleep there until we get things sorted out. I should have some spare clothes you can borrow, too.”

“I…I trust you, Professor,” Edelgard said, the slight stammer in her voice the only betrayal of her confidence, “I just have one question.”

“I’ll do my best to answer it.”

“…What’s a ‘car’?”

\-- -- --

I came up with the AU on my Tumblr, and it has since snowballed into something large enough I thought I'd share it here. I won't post _everything_ \- just the things that could become an actual story. If you're at all interested in more of the worldbuilding details, feel free to check them out on my blog [here](https://frozenartscapes.tumblr.com/tagged/a-world-without-gods)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth takes Edelgard home to help get her situated in this new world. It is all...very daunting, even for someone as unshakable as Edelgard. But thankfully she has someone who will take her hand this time around.

So _this_ …was a “car”?

Edelgard stared at the metal contraption before her, head tilted slightly to one side. “I don’t…understand,” she said after a moment, “Is it like a carriage?”

“Sort of,” Byleth replied, “Only it drives itself.”

Another head tilt, this time in the other direction. “How does it do that?”

“Uh… To be honest, explaining it simply would be a bit of a challenge. I’m not much of a mechanic,” Byleth said sheepishly.

“A…mechanic?”

“You know what? Why don’t we get going and I’ll start answering while we drive.”

Edelgard awkwardly settled into the passenger seat of Byleth’s car, her antiquated armour and battledress making things a little difficult. It took a few more minutes for Byleth to teach her about a seatbelt and why it was necessary.

“We never had such precautions when we rode horses. Or _wyverns_.”

“Yeah, but even wyverns don’t fly as fast as cars.”

Eventually they were off, and the ride was painfully silent. Though it wasn’t because of any kind of animosity. Edelgard was too busy staring out the windows, quietly gasping in amazement as they drove through the city toward Byleth’s downtown apartment.

“If we hadn’t met in the palace, I would never believe you if you told me this was Enbarr,” Edelgard said eventually, as they drove down the main boulevard that was lined with all kinds of high-end shops and restaurants. It was the end of the week, and the nightlife was only just ramping up. People from all backgrounds were flocking to various entertainment venues for a fun night out. It was a far cry from the Enbarr the Emperor had known.

“I guess it has changed quite a lot,” Byleth admitted as they pulled up to an intersection.

Edelgard frowned in confusion. “Why are we stopping?”

“Because the light’s red.”

Edelgard glanced up at the light in question. “So it is, but… It doesn’t appear that anyone else is moving through the intersection. Can we not go?”

“No. Because the light’s red.”

“I fail to see why a simple light would have such power.”

Byleth let out a tired sigh. “It’s just…how traffic works now. Trust me: if you saw this light during rush hour, you’d appreciate the control way more.”

“…Rush hour?”

The light mercifully turned green, and Byleth allowed the subject to drop. Edelgard was once again preoccupied with taking in the sights of the city, marvelling especially at the tall condo and office towers. That’s when Byleth remembered the radio.

“Hey, I have something to show you,” she said, reaching for the power button on the dashboard. The radio flicked to life, softly playing a talk show station Byleth had been listening to that morning.

Edelgard’s eyes lit up like a child seeing snow for the first time. “What is _this_?” she breathed, leaning in to better inspect the radio.

Byleth chuckled. “Try it out. This dial here tunes it, so you can switch between stations. And this one is for the volume. Careful with that one: it can get pretty loud in here. All the numbered buttons are stations I’ve saved.”

Edelgard tentatively turned the tuning dial, gasping in pleasant surprise when the radio switched to playing some classical music. Byleth couldn’t help but grin as she watched the fearsome Emperor messing about with a car radio, fully and un-ironically engrossed in the technology.

She spent the rest of the trip like that, and the way she struggled to hide her disappointment when the radio turned off with the car brought another grin to Byleth’s face. “Just wait until you discover the TV,” Byleth teased as she led the Emperor toward the elevator.

“I can tell you are clearly enjoying yourself,” Edelgard commented coolly, “I’m glad my curiosity is somewhat entertaining.”

“Sorry,” Byleth said gently, “I guess it’s just…strange. Seeing you like this.”

The elevator doors opened with a ding, catching her attention once more. “Doors that open on their own?” she wondered, “What sort of magic is at play here?”

“No magic, just…technology,” Byleth explained. She headed into the elevator, and Edelgard hesitantly followed. She pressed the button for her floor, and the doors closed. The elevator lurched - it always did, they really needed to fix that - and Edelgard latched onto her arm almost instinctively. A blush spread across the Emperor’s face, and she quickly stepped away in embarrassment.

“S…so…” she stammered, tucking one strand of hair behind her ear as she desperately avoided eye contact, “Why did we purposely trap ourselves in this tiny room? And why does it feel like it’s _moving_?”

“It’s an elevator. It’s taking us up to the floor my apartment’s on,” Byleth told her, “And before you ask: no, there’s no magic involved here, either. This one’s a giant metal cable attached to this box, and it’s pulled and lowered by a giant mechanism on the top of the building.”

“…And…how high up is this floor we’re going to?”

“It’s the fourteenth.”

“…I don’t know how high that actually is but you’re telling me the thing keeping this box from crashing to the ground below is _one measly cable_?”

“Well, technically the cable’s not _measly_. And there’s a failsafe installed in every elevator, making it impossible for them to fall, even if the cable breaks.”

Edelgard was staring at her like she had grown a second head.

“Ok, elevators freaked me out at first, too. But trust me: this totally beats taking the stairs.”

The elevator doors opened, and Byleth led the way to her apartment. Upon opening the door, they were met with a cozy space. A small hallway led down to the living room, the kitchen was just off to the left, a closet to the right. There were a few dishes left piled in the sink, some books left scattered around, clothes draped over the back of the couch.

“Heh, sorry,” Byleth said sheepishly, “I wasn’t expecting company.”

Edelgard glanced around at the strange new setting. Her eyes settled on the large windows in the living room, her feet taking her over without even realizing it. Byleth followed, watching closely. The Emperor gazed over her former home, seemingly sprawling in every direction as far as the eye could see. The sun had just set, with a few traces of twilight still in the inky sky. But the city had become alive in the darkness, millions of lights from windows and streets forming a completely new metropolis.

“The view’s even better from out here,” Byleth offered, sliding the balcony door open and gesturing out.

Edelgard seemed hesitant, but she wordlessly followed and stepped out onto the balcony, moving to the railing as she once more took in the sights with an unreadable expression. Eventually though, her eyes trained downward, and she realized just how tall fourteen floors really was. “Oh _Goddess_ , we’re _high_ ,” she gasped backing as far from the railing as she could get.

Byleth chuckled. “Believe it or not, there’s still another ten floors to this building, too,” she said lightly.

“How were they able to construct a building so _tall_?” Edelgard demanded, “I don’t think even the tallest spire at Garreg Mach could reach this height.”

“No, it was…actually pretty short by today’s standards,” Byleth admitted, “They figured out how to build tall and skinny buildings by utilizing steel and concrete.” She paused. “Ok, I realize that probably doesn’t explain much. Just…just trust me: tall buildings like this are the norm now.”

“O…ok,” Edelgard stammered. Her eyes darted out to the view for a moment. “It…it is a nice view, but I think I’d like to go back inside now.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Byleth agreed, “Come on. I’ll show you the guest room.”

Byleth gave Edelgard a quick tour of the apartment, concluding in the second bedroom. Edelgard had been strangely quiet for the whole tour, and now stood awkwardly near the bed, glancing around the room with mild uncertainty. Byleth decided to give her a little space, so she headed out to the linen closet.

When she returned, Edelgard had taken a seat on the bed, and was staring down at her hands.

“Ok, so here are some towels. If you like, I can show you how to get a shower going. And I’ll grab some of my old clothes, too. If you’d like to change out of that dress,” Byleth stated, hoping her hospitality would help the Emperor adjust, “And are you hungry? I don’t really have a whole lot of food right now, but I can order something. Maybe some Almyran? Or Duscurian? Oh! I know a place that does _really_ good Brigid-spiced chicken.”

Edelgard sighed, unable to meet Byleth’s eyes. “There are… _many_ things I don’t understand,” she admitted, “I think…it’s all starting to hit me. But the strangest thing isn’t that I’ve been transported into the future.” She gulped nervously, and finally looked up. “It’s that you’ve been so kind to me.”

Something clamped around Byleth’s heart and refused to let go. She carefully headed over and took a seat on the bed next to the Emperor. “I’m…I’m sorry,” she said softly, “I suppose the change must feel quite sudden for you. But…I’ve had _many_ years to think about what I did… How I treated you…”

“We were on opposing sides of a war. It seems like only a few hours ago I was waiting for your army to break down my door and for us to engage in our final battle,” Edelgard uttered, “It _was_ , for me. I was prepared to die by your blade… And _you_ were prepared to do it.”

Byleth grimaced. “I… _did_ do it,” she confessed, running a hand through her hair to push her bangs out of her face, “I… _Goddess_ , Edelgard, I… I split your _skull_ open.”

“I suppose I should thank you for being quick about it,” Edelgard commented grimly, “I wonder if that’s why it seems I suddenly appeared here, as if nothing had happened.”

“You came here the moment you died…” Byleth muttered, “But… _why_?”

Edelgard frowned, clearly thinking about it. “I’m…not sure,” she eventually admitted, “This certainly wasn’t any trick of mine. By the time we fought, I just wanted to… Never mind.” She drew a deep breath, and Byleth could practically _see_ her shoving those negative thoughts and emotions away. She cast Byleth a small smile, and said, “I’m just…glad it was you who found me, Professor.”

“I… Me too.” Byleth returned the smile with one of her own. She then got up, offering a hand to the Emperor. “Well, you probably want to get cleaned up. I’ll show you how to work the shower.”

“…Is there some sort of device that makes it rain indoors?”

“Well… _sort of_.”

– – –

“Ok, so you’ve got hot and cold water,” Byleth said, pointing to two nobs imbedded into the tiled wall, “You pull this little lever all the way up to turn on the shower. You kind of have to give it a good tug - it sticks sometimes.” She then motioned to the various bottles on the wall. “You can also use the shampoo and conditioner - make sure you use both, and in that order. I don’t know why, to be honest, that’s just how they make them. And soap is there.”

Edelgard followed along intently, still mesmerized by the strange room Byleth had led her to. The tub and sink were simple white, with silver fixtures that magically distributed water whenever it was desired. Byleth insisted it wasn’t magic, but… Come on. _Something_ had to be magic in this world, right? There was also this strange, porcelain seat that Byleth had to awkwardly explain, too.

Eventually, Byleth left her alone for some privacy. And she was met with her first real challenge of this new world: taking a shower.

She hadn’t realized just how badly she had lost that fight until she started removing her mangled dress and armour. Her hair was practically tied to her crown, and it took a good twenty minutes just to be free of the heavy golden contraption. Removing the rest of her armour was easier, and it wasn’t long before she had stripped down to just her underclothes. She decided to wait until she got the shower working before discarding them, just in case she needed to call Byleth.

She turned one of the nobs on the wall, and water started to flow out of the large spout into the tub. She then tugged on the lever, and the water stopped. There was a beat, and then it started to flow out of another spout mounted higher on the wall, pouring out in multiple little streams as if it were a heavy downpour.

“Huh. So it _does_ make it rain indoors,” she mused.

She then removed the rest of her clothing, and tentatively stepped into the shower.

_COLD_

She yelped in immediate surprise, and almost slipped on the smooth surface of the tub, only just managing to catch herself on the metal bar with a curtain suspended over the top. Probably for just such a purpose. She scooted away from the frigid water as much as she could.

What did Byleth say again? The other nob must be for the hot water. She bit her lip and lunged into the cold water, grabbing the hot water dial and cranking it as far as it would go.

There was a brief moment when the shower was _perfect_. Then…

_HOT_

She yelped again, once more fleeing the water before her skin began to burn.

Why in Sothis’ name would Byleth have such a torture device in her home? And supposedly _use it regularly_?

“Edelgard?” Byleth called after knocking on the door, “You ok in there?”

“Y…yes, my teacher!” she called back, too proud to admit this stupid shower was besting her.

“You have to balance the temperature,” Byleth shouted, “Don’t turn both nobs up all the way! Try just turning them both a little at a time until the water’s warm.”

Edelgard huffed, but set about it. Rather than diving back into the boiling water, she hopped out of the tub and approached from the side. Eventually, after much trial and error, she managed to get the water to an appropriate temperature.

And only then did she start appreciating it. To think: just having constant hot or cold water on demand! No servants or fire spells necessary. She could feel the warm water and steam washing away all the sweat and grime and blood from her body and it felt so _relaxing_.

She supposed it was time for to wash her hair. The shampoo bottle said it was fragranced to smell like cucumber and green tea, and was supposed to make hair shiny and soft. She followed the instructions carefully, and only cursed the stuff once when some of it got in her eye. She did the same for the conditioner, and before she was even out of the shower she could tell this stuff was going to do wonders for her hair. She had never felt it so sleek and smooth before.

She had at least experienced soap before, and found herself relieved to find something she was familiar with.

Once finished she turned the water off and reached for the towels Byleth had provided. She returned to her room to find Byleth had left a small pile of folded clothes on the bed. It felt…strange, to wear her old teacher’s clothes. But she had _no_ desire to wear her dirty battledress again, so she reached for a shirt on the top of the pile.

Byleth had just ordered that chicken from the Brigidian food place, and was anxiously pacing back and forth in her living room, ears trained for any sign of distress. Nothing too catastrophic came from the bathroom, but Byleth still guessed she’d likely have to take a mop to it once Edelgard was done.

Speaking of, the former Emperor of Fodlan entered the living room, hair still wet but brushed and free from any intricate hairstyle. Byleth couldn’t hold back the smile spreading on her lips, though, much to Edelgard’s annoyance. The smaller woman was practically _swimming_ in Byleth’s old clothes. The legs of the sweatpants bunched up around her feet, and the blue, red, and yellow sweatshirt was at least two sizes too big, with sleeves going well past her hands and it being so long it could count as a dress.

“Ok, we’ll go out clothes shopping for you in the morning,” she stated, still unable to stop her grin.

Edelgard nodded, glancing down at her new borrowed wardrobe. “I have to admit… These are strange clothes, even if they _did_ fit me,” she said, “What does ‘GMU’ stand for?”

“Garreg Mach University,” Byleth replied, “I, uh, thought it was fitting.”

“So it’s a university now?” Edelgard wondered.

“Yeah, I was a prof there in another life. I wanted to try teaching again,” Byleth told her casually, “It’s…different when it’s actual academic stuff and not military training.”

Edelgard chuckled at that. “I can imagine… No offence, but you were never really good at that side of teaching,” she said.

“None taken. I _know_ I was bad at all that school stuff. But I got better.”

They fell into somewhat of an awkward silence, Edelgard taking in some of the details of Byleth’s apartment she missed earlier, and Byleth unsure of where to go from there. Eventually, she gestured to the couch. “You’re welcome to take a seat!” she suggested, “Dinner’s on the way. But I can make us a snack in the meantime, if you like.”

“That…sounds nice, my Teacher,” Edelgard said as she hesitantly made her way over to the couch. As she got herself comfortable, Byleth headed into the kitchen to throw a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

It only just started popping when she noticed Edelgard in the kitchen entrance. She glanced at the microwave, that inquisitive stare back on her face. “Is _that_ …”

“It’s not magic, I’m afraid,” Byleth said before the thought could be finished.

Edelgard frowned. “Is _anything_ magic in this world anymore?” she asked, a hint of worry beginning to show through.

“Not really. Well, _technically_ , yes,” Byleth said, “A lot of the technology nowadays was inspired by the magic we knew. Some of it even still uses magic, but not to the same degree we needed it before. It makes it more accessible, especially since not everyone was skilled in magic.”

“I…see…”

The popcorn finished up, then, and Byleth fished it out of the microwave. She dumped the bag into a large bowl, then offered it to Edelgard. “Well, here you go: your first modern food,” she said with a smile.

Edelgard glanced down at the popcorn with skepticism written all over her face. She delicately selected a single puffy piece from the bowl, eyes narrowing as she closely inspected it. Eventually, she finally popped it in her mouth.

Her eyes widened almost _instantly_. Byleth couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“You _lied_ ,” Edelgard breathed, taking another few pieces of popcorn eagerly, “This food is _proof_ magic is still alive and well in Fodlan!”


End file.
